Race Report Paddington Green 2 | Etchells Class Series | 25th January 2026

Victoria Harbour served up a lively afternoon for the second race of the Etchells Class Paddington Green Series. Gusts hit 18 knots right before the start, settling into a shifty 12–14kt easterly once the fleet got underway. With the flood tide building, the big question was whether to play the shifts mid‑harbour or hug the Hong Kong Island shoreline.

Upwind Moves

The winning boats made their intentions clear early, heading right upwind and locking into strong lanes. Racer Smithy (Mark Thornburrow) showed pace and control from the gun, never letting go of the lead. Madness (Charlie Manzoni) and Rough Justice (Michael Berndt) followed behind, both running GT jibs—a choice that gave them an edge in boat speed and more control in the gusts.

One of the standout stories was Five5Five (Rene Theil) and Easy Tiger (Kelvin Wong), who went all the way to the wall along the Island side on the first beat. It was a hero move that paid off, putting them in great positions at the first top mark.

Downwind Drama

The run home was full of action. Rough Justice, Good Thing, and Fiddler’s Green were locked in a tight duel, trading gybes and fighting for pressure. They crossed the line within seconds of each other, a proper harbour‑style finish that kept crews on their toes until the very end.

Good Thing (Matthew Phillips) finished in fourth. Fiddler’s Green (Mick McCool) followed in fifth, while Diva Deux (Mark Yeadon) had to improvise after losing their spinnaker halyard on the first hoist. Switching to the jib halyard, they kept racing and still managed a solid sixth—an impressive recovery.

Wrap‑Up

All in all, it was a classic harbour race —great conditions for this time of year, and the fleet made the most of them.